


Brightly shining in the night sky

by moonkevin



Category: PRISTIN (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Arguing, Books, F/F, Fallen Stars, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, How Do I Tag, Humor, I cant write confession scenes so i just skipped out on that, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Lee Jihoon | Woozi Being an Asshole, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Philosophy, Racist Language...?, Stars, Stereotypes, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Wonwoo has the patience of a saint, but he's just emotionally constipated, its the star's POV of humans, listen i can't tag just give it a chance you won't be dissapointed, not rlly, terrible pacing, why is that not a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 23:56:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21217169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonkevin/pseuds/moonkevin
Summary: “Trust me, if it weren’t for the guys up there I’d rather not mingle with you violent, self-destroying, simpleminded creatures without the wisdom to do anything worth my attention—”“Sounds like a superiority complex.”“—if I had the choice. Alas, every star must find the human soul that is tied to their existence to continue shining," Jihoon finishes, ignoring the raised eyebrow Wonwoo gives him.-Alternatively, Jihoon is scared of love, in all of its forms.





	Brightly shining in the night sky

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Seventeen's Campfire.

.🌏.

The logical thing to do in reaction to seeing a stranger appearing out of nowhere on your coffee table would be to scream, call the police and run, in that particular order.

Unfortunately, Wonwoo was everything BUT logical.

“Good evening," The stranger greets, eyes blinking slowly. His eyes are a brilliant shade of gold, barely covered by the strands of blond hair that rests on his eyelashes.

“You’re on my coffee table," Wonwoo deadpans, ceramic coffee mug in hand as he takes in the sight of the stranger in front of him. The stranger rolls his eyes.

“Why aren’t you running away?” He asks. Wonwoo contemplates the question for a second, absentmindedly noting that he should, in fact, be screaming and calling the cops right now. Instead, he shrugs.

“I’m a lonely, sleep-deprived, and frankly bored college student. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that your just a figment of my imagination," Wonwoo shrugs, not at all processing how there’s a complete stranger in front of him. The stranger raises an eyebrow, yet he doesn’t say anything. Instead, the stranger extends his hands into the sky and stretches, face scrunching up as he groans. Cute, he thinks, the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Lee Jihoon. Fallen star and very much NOT a part of your imagination," The stranger—Jihoon—introduces.

“Jeon Wonwoo. A human being, sadly," Wonwoo returns the favour. Jihoon cracks a smile.

“I wasn’t aware humans became so self-aware?” The fallen star teases. Wonwoo shrugs.

“I try,"

The light bulb overhead flickers once, twice, thrice. Wonwoo’s eyes flick to the bulb, squinting at the dangling piece of glass. Slowly, Jihoon follows his gaze, watching as the bulb falls onto the ground, shattering into a million pieces.

Something snaps in Wonwoo’s brain.

“Wait a second," the human glares at Jihoon.

“A fallen star?” Wonwoo asks, incredulous. Jihoon sighs, looking disappointed.

“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy... promise not to call the cops?” Jihoon mumbles. Wonwoo nods warily, hands halfway towards his phone. Jihoon rolls his eyes, swinging his legs over the coffee table to sit more comfortably.

“I am Jihoon, Star #17 in System 96, here on my required fall. My ultimate goal is to find my starmate, who will apparently teach me about human emotions so I can return to the Celestial world with them," Jihoon explains, to which Wonwoo only nods at, brain trying to grasp the concept.

“Why do you have to fall?” Wonwoo asks instead. Jihoon shrugs.

“Trust me, if it weren’t for the guys up there I’d rather not mingle with you violent, self-destroying, simpleminded creatures without the wisdom to do anything worth my attention—”

“Sounds like a superiority complex.”

“—if I had the choice. Alas, every star must find the human soul that is tied to their existence to continue shining," Jihoon finishes, ignoring the raised eyebrow Wonwoo gives him.

“And just why do you not like humans?” Wonwoo questions, causing Jihoon to scowl as if there was a memory behind the reason.

“Didn’t I just explain it? You creatures only think for yourselves, ready to trample over each other for a short-term gain that will ultimately lead to your species’ demise," Jihoon growls, mood changing in a fraction of a second. Wonwoo shakes his head.

“That’s a stereotype," Wonwoo points out. Jihoon barks a laugh.

“That’s the truth," The star states stubbornly. Wonwoo squints at him. The fallen star glows faintly in his dim apartment light, arms crossed as he stays adamant. Wonwoo thinks back to the human generalization of stars and realized just how stubbornly dumb they actually are.

“Your species is diverse too, isn’t it? Not all of your stars are glowing wise textbooks," The human tries instead. Jihoon frowns.

“Of course. Every star is different."

“And humans aren’t different?”

“Of course not!”

“Your logic makes no sense," Wonwoo points out, painting a red flush onto Jihoon’s cheeks.

“It makes perfect sense! Stars are different than humans!”

“Different how?”

“Just... different!”

It’s was gonna be a long night.

.💫.

_Long ago, there used to be a world where humans and stars lived in harmony. The Celestials adored the humans, guiding each of the planets that could support life on their path to prosperity, blessing the worlds with emotions. They lived and lived in tandems, with a few humans souls becoming intertwined with the star’s soul, creating starmates. There was no bond stronger than those, a level of empathy unknown to the rest of the universe. The universe fed in these emotions, expanding and letting the systems feed on this positive energy. Nothing could ever go wrong._

_Until it did._

_A few millennias ago, a war broke out. Those without starmates became jealous, claiming that the celestials favoured those with power and wealth, instead of the lower classes. Rebellion broke out across the universe as the humans went to war, capturing starmates to severe their bond forever, hoping to reach the universe a lesson. The stars went into hiding, fortifying Celestial city into a base of military prowess the entire universe would quiver under. Together, humans stormed the city as one united force, resulting in the bloodiest battle in the history of the universe. The stars that survived the catastrophic battle swore to hide forever, finding star mates to fuel the universe only in secret. They separated the systems, making sure no life-carrying planet could find another._

_From then on, every surviving star spends eternities falling to find their star mates. The high council of zodiacs made each and every starmate immortal, hoping to one day end the secret migration of emotions that once cause their kind so much pain. The universe would hide the city forever, and every star was excited to finally end their lifestyle of caution and fear. If all it took was finding their one true love, then there was no harm, right? Everyone agreed that this was for the best._

_All, except for one._

.💫.

“Hoonie, you can’t keep hiding in the library. The council demanded your star fall a week ago," Jihoon looks up from his book, glasses slipping to the bridge of his nose as he watches a figure leaning on the bookshelf by his reading station. Scowling, he ignores the star, returning to the story he held in his arms.

“Go away Nayoung. The library is my sanctuary, and the council is not welcomed here," Nayoung rolls her eyes, striding over to the window and yanking the curtains down. The humongous glass frame reveals itself, exposing the universe to Jihoon’s uninterested eyes. He ignores the influx of brightness as Nayoung directs the glass frame to show a particular system.

“If you won’t come to the council, I’ll bring their orders to you!” Nayoung stands firm, a little spark of electricity shooting out from her fingers as she zooms in on a particular system. Jihoon grunts in ignorance, gingerly flipping through the pages of his book. Nayoung rolls her eyes, walking over to pluck the book away from Jihoon’s grasp.

“Hey!” He protests, arms flaming as Nayoung holds the book high over her head. His, ah, vertically challenged frame is no match for her taller one, and Nayoung’s expression of determination convinces Jihoon to grumble as he settles onto the armchair once again.

“Listen. You’re the last star who hasn’t fallen, and we all want to close the city gates soon. It’s only fair that you fall now," Jihoon groans, crossing his arms. The library is silent, the usual sound of self-writing books and scratching quills no longer echoing the walls of the library. Their muses all quiet down, peeking into the reading area to watch the happenings of the celestial world. Their patron star stays stubborn in his belief, and the quills worry for their future.

“Why should I? The city’s been doing fine on the reserve of emotions from before the war," Nayoung flicks Jihoon’s forehead, making him hiss in pain as he clutches the spot.

“Ow!”

“Don’t be selfish Jihoon. We can’t live on reserve magic forever," Jihoon glares at her. Two books fall from their shelf in their attempt to lean over and watch. Jihoon moves his gaze to them, silently ordering the books to return to their positions. They obey, although the moment the star returns his attention to Nayoung, the books pike out again.

“Then generate more. I’m not going down to those cursed systems of ungrateful thieves," Nayoung sighs.

“Jihoon. Let go of your grudge. For the rest of us," The star huffs, facing away from the councilwoman as he holds his stance.

“They’ve been nothing but trouble for us, and you still let them mingle in our city? I won’t argue with your stupidity, but I will never bring one of those vermin into Celestial City," Nayoung glares at him.

“You must! For the survival of our species!” Jihoon grunts. He waves his hand over the fallen curtain, letting it rehang itself to cover the world outside. Nayoung sighs at his stubbornness, hands massaging her temples as she throws him a packet of files. Jihoon yelps as he scrambles to catch the loose pieces of paper, face scrunching in disgust as he sees the official order on the first page.

“System 17. YOUR system. The last one we need to find a starmate in. His name is Jeon Wonwoo, academic," Nayoung pauses, although Jihoon is so absorbed in being scandalized at the papers he doesn’t see her gaze of disappointment as the councilwoman turns back.

“He likes books," Jihoon scoffs.

“Human stories," Nayoung shakes her head.

“Stories nonetheless," Jihoon grunts.

“You’re not convincing me,"

“I’m not," She agrees, turning around to leave once again.

“I’m ordering you to,"

.🌏.

All things considered, Wonwoo isn’t a bad host in any way. He lets Jihoon sleep on the couch, finding a spare blanket for him and even letting Jihoon claim Wonwoo’s rather large collection of books as his own. Jihoon claims it was research about this world, although Wonwoo knows he simply missed the scent of the Celestial library. Wonwoo was surprised to find out Jihoon’s lack of need to eat, but only shrugged in response to it.

“More for me," He had said. Jihoon seemed conflicted at how unexpectedly calm Wonwoo is about the situation. Good. He needs to know that humans can’t all be described as one frame.

Wonwoo notices Jihoon’s daily lifestyle, of course, and tries to adjust accordingly. He knows that acting hostile to the fallen star will only make matters worse, and Wonwoo’s only hope of changing Jihoon’s mind is on a good note. He notices Jihoon’s affection for the stray cat that finds itself on Wonwoo’s balcony more days than not, so Wonwoo lets Jihoon feed it instead of succumbing to his inner cat-lover and stealing the cart away. He notices Jihoon’s longing for the telescope that used to decorate his library, and see up his old one to point out the window. He notices Jihoon’s tendencies to sleep anywhere and everywhere, so he gives the star a set of fluffy pyjamas to curl up around the apartment. By the time Jihoon has stopped denying his love for sleep, Wonwoo starts finding the shorter male asleep in questionable locations around the house. He can’t even find it in him to complain though, as it’s absolutely endearing.

“You seem to like books," Wonwoo comments offhandedly. Jihoon looks up from his perch on the love seat, eyes squinty as his glasses fall down yet again. He groans as he tries to pick it up, although his arms prove to be a little too short for the floor. A hand extends into his view, and Jihoon grunts as he swipes the glasses off of Wonwoo’s hands.

“You also seem to need new glasses," Wonwoo notes, retracting his hand. Jihoon scowls.

“Mine works perfectly fine, thank you very much. And I’m researching about your world, not just reading," The star snaps. Wonwoo rolls his eyes, snickering at Jihoon’s method of researching.

“Sure. As if the fiction there is anything like real life," Wonwoo mutters, attention returning to his paper. His eyes squint at his laptop screen, trying to decipher exactly what it is he has written. A sock is thrown at Wonwoo, of which he easily dodged. 

“Then try me. Tell me about your kind," Jihoon challenges. Wonwoo snorts. He abandons his paper in favour of facing Jihoon more comfortably.

“First of all, not all humans are the same. We fight each other all the time, and the entire reason why social problems exist is proof that humans think differently! Some are aware of the problems we face as a species, while others turn a blind eye. It’s not all black and white out there, Mr. Know-it-all," Wonwoo begins. Jihoon nods in contemplation, and Wonwoo resists the urge to call him cute. The afternoon glow looks heavenly on him, and Wonwoo wonders how such a cute exterior could hold such hatred for human beings.

“And yet the very fact that you are also willing to trample over each other for your own personal gains prove otherwise. You’re all ungrateful for what you have, which is why you’re all so willing to abandon others for your own gains," Jihoon smirks, happy with his retort.

“And yet human love for each other is what has gotten us this far. There wouldn’t be new humans without the love of the older ones," Wonwoo challenges.

“But human love is fragile, and when it breaks the human soul becomes too tainted and broken to ever fully heal. If you could do that to your own kind, I can at least understand your treatment to the other creatures that inhabit this Earth," Jihoon retaliates, blond hair blown out of the way as he waves his arms around in grand gestures. A single cactus sitting on the coffee table listen intently, an intrigued stupor hanging in the air as it watches the scene with the interest of very keen businessmen and women.

“And yet human love is the kind of love that sustains your species, no? If it’s so insignificant, then why are you forced down here in the first place?”

“Because the goddamn council refuses to search for another way to supply our magic!”

“Really? Or is it because they’ve already tried, and found that this was the most reliable? You told me the universe was all but stable before the creation of starmates,"

“A creation that resulted in the horrific war that killed most of my kind due to you humans, might I remind you," Jihoon spat, voice nearly doubling in volume. Wonwoo is calm, only a hint of anger creeping into his voice.

“War is managed by the politicians with too much time on their hands, not the poor civilians who are tricked into the war.”

“But it’s the civilians’ choices that lead them to war!”

“To save the ones they love because of manipulation, not to fight.” Wonwoo holds his stance firmly.

Jihoon gapes, unable to respond as Wonwoo grins. The human picks up his laptop to continue working again, and Jihoon is the incarnation of frustration. He storms off, resembling kindergarteners who were told playtime was over as the cacti resign to boredom once again. The memory of a fallen lightbulb that had fell from the crash of a fallen star echoes in the room, and the remnants of a heated debate mingle with Wonwoo’s sighs as he picks up Jihoon’s fallen pair of glasses once again.

He’s making progress. Jihoon would come around soon enough.

.💫.

“Jihoon." 

Said star sighs in disinterest, waving off the approaching figure. He slips back into his daydream, thinking about the latest story his quills could tell. Maybe it’ll be in System 13, or maybe System 17.

“You’re being ridiculous," A voice cuts off Jihoon’s daydreaming. The star grumbles, looking up to find his terribly annoying friend.

“I came here to get coffee, not to be criticized, thank you very much," Jihoon announces rather loudly, although Jieqiong promptly scoffs at it, setting two cups of coffee down onto their table. They’re sitting in the back of the shop, away from the light of the streets, but close enough that Jihoon can still gaze at his favourite systems through the clear roof. Jieqiong calls him hypocritical, since he seems to live the systems but despise the creatures that inhabit them. Jihoon calls her ridiculous, since neither are related.

“I’m stating the truth Jihoon. You can’t hide forever in your library," Jieqiong deadpans. Jihoon scrunches his nose and sticks his tongue out at her before returning to blow on his coffee.

“Watch me," Jihoon challenges, making Jieyqiong sigh. The backdrop of dripping coffee machines and bustling conversations harmonize with her exasperated state.

“Humans aren’t all bad. I’m here, aren’t I? Therefore, the council sure as hell wouldn’t have chosen someone terrible for your starmate," Jihoon sips on his coffee, entirely not convinced.

“You’re different."

“And the rest isn’t?”

“Yup."

Jieqiong throws her hands up, completely done with Jihoon’s stubbornness.

“You’re still ridiculous. Everyone fell and came back with their starmate. It’s time you do the same, y’know. Don’t make the rest of us suffer just for your own gain, or you’ll be exactly what you hate," She concludes, leaning back on her chair as she glares at the star sitting across from her. Jihoon scowls.

“Why did Nayoung have to get such an insufferable starmate,” A sigh, to which the human starmate promptly ignores.

“Why is your key characteristic stubbornness?” A small coffee stirrer is thrown, to which the cafe owner yells at the pair to stop.

“Sorry hyung!” Jihoon yells, earning an eye roll and a huff from Joshua the barista. Muttering under his breath, Jihoon takes a sip from his coffee.

“I hate you,” Jihoon grumbles. Jieqiong scoffs.

“Love you too."

The worst part? Jihoon knows she’s right, and there’s not a single bone in his body that wants to accept it.

.🌏.

“What’s up?” A glance. Jihoon hums a noise of thanks as a small cup is placed next to his feet on the coffee table. The soft purr from the stray cat outside blends with the soft music playing from Wonwoo’s speaker. The star seems to share the same music taste as Wonwoo, although it isn’t hard to notice his distaste towards the cheesy lyrics. Wonwoo can agree. The human maneuvers around his mess of a living room, which is really just a small table next to a rather large couch. In the corner, there’s a tiny bookshelf holding more books than physically possible. 

Jihoon spends nearly all his time on Earth in Wonwoo’s corner of stories, pretending to research human imagination when his ulterior motives are simply to read whatever it is Wonwoo is working on that day. Sometimes it’s yet another paper, or sometimes it’s a little short story. Jihoon likes to pretend Wonwoo doesn’t see him trying to lean on the human’s arm to read, so Wonwoo decides to indulge in the star. He’s simply a little too cute trying to deny his intentions. 

It brings a little tradition, of sorts, to the apartment, where Wonwoo would come back home absolutely exhausted from classes, only to find Jihoon’s strangely delicious home-cooked meals and notes stuck everywhere to remind him of his life necessities. Jihoon himself would be perched on the couch, deep in thought as his subliminal magic twists in beautiful swirls around his body, creating an angelic glow to the star. Wonwoo would be lying if he claims to not stare at Jihoon for a little too long during those moments.

“Do you think the universe would miss me if I just disappear?” Jihoon asks, head tucked in the crook of Wonwoo’s elbow as the human types away. Wonwoo pauses, the corners of his mouth settling in a thin frown.

“What makes you think of that?” Wonwoo asks tentatively. Jihoon, on the other hand, simply shrugs.

“Just wondering. Me being selfish and short-sighted and whatnot,” the star mumbles. Wonwoo sighs, throwing his laptop onto the couch. He stares at Jihoon, contemplating whether he wants to slap the fallen star or hug him, trying to imagine the repercussions of doing so at the same time.

“As terribly biased you are about the human race, I don’t think we’ll just simply go ‘good riddance’ if you just dropped off the radar,” Wonwoo tries, hoping for a balance between reassuring and reprimanding. Jihoon only shrugs again, although his lips thin as the tiniest hint of teeth bites down on them, as if Jihoon’s actually doubting the validity of his existence. Wonwoo wants to bundle him up, whispering to him that everyone has twisted views, but that doesn’t make them unchangeable and bad in any way. The key was change. Willingness to change. Ability to change.

“But what if I can’t change?” Jihoon whispers, voice barely a whisper. Wonwoo snaps his gaze down, not realizing that he had voiced his thoughts aloud.

“Everyone can change. You can’t tell me not a single one of the stars in your city stayed the exact same since before your war. Heck, I’m willing to bet you yourself were different then,” Wonwoo says. Jihoon’s tiny hands fidget with his glasses, the thin frames slipping off his nose bridge yet again. Wonwoo watches, a single burning question in the back of his brain.

“What’s with the glasses?” Wonwoo asks, not sure if he’s about to step on a nerve. Jihoon only glares at him, although the star’s eyes are filled with such sadness Wonwoo feels his heart drop instead of shaking in fear.

“None of your business,” Jihoon snaps. Nodding, Wonwoo settles into the couch, letting a pregnant silence pass before trying to speak up again.

“I’m sure your friends back home must miss you,” Wonwoo tries. Jihoon gazes downwards, as if he’s thinking of a memory that seems so distant. With a start, Wonwoo lets the fact that Jihoon’s been at his home for nearly 3 months sink in, wondering if the star’s ever been away from his friends for so long.

“I never even said goodbye. Soonie, Junnie, Channie, all of them…” Jihoon’s voice cracks. He looks up at Wonwoo, eyes shiny.

“I never even said goodbye to them. I just fell, no note or whatever. After all they’ve done for me. Soonie with his insufferable sunny energy, Junnie with his stupid pranks and even little Channie. Poor little Channie who just wanted to help and I just... I never even said thank you. They… they gave me the closest thing to love, and I didn’t even say goodbye before falling. I—“ Jihoon chokes up, tears spilling as Wonwoo hears the faint sound of his heart shattering to a million pieces. He tries to offer words of comfort, tries to reassure Jihoon that despite his prickly shell, the star was not just an asshole.

But he can’t.

He can’t say anything, only able to pull Jihoon in a tight hug and letting the shorter cry all over his favourite hoodie. Hoodies can be washed. Human—and star—emotion cannot.

“It’s okay,” Wonwoo whispers, entirely too aware that Jihoon was, frankly, not okay right now. He supposes revelations about your world views are soul-crushing.

But no one knew how much regret a star can have.

.💫.

“Hyung?” A voice calls out. Jihoon tunes it out, mind completely focused on the half-written book in front of him. He needed to get the story done, before the system passes by and Jihoon would have to resort to making up an ending to such a wonderful snippet of human life. Idealized human life. Fake, not real.

“Another time Channie,” Jihoon grumbles. Candlelight flickers in the other star’s eyes as he hesitates. His brown hair is soft in the simulated night sky the city retains in its dome, only a hint of blond in the strands. Chan huffs in annoyance, ignoring Jihoon’s order and practically draping himself over the smaller star. Jihoon grumbles, even more, trying to shake off the young star, but Chan is as persistent as he is unbelievably clingy. The star sticks his nose into Jihoon’s hair, a smile on his features as Jihoon relents. They exchange a silence, where Jihoon tries his best to not look fond of his young friend.

“Whatchu doing, hyung?” Chan breaks the silence. Jihoon waves him off, a small mumble of ‘writing’ being the only information Chan gets. Jihoon squints at the scroll, trying to read the words he’s written and wondering when they’ve started to swim together into one muddled pool of scratches. Sighing, Jihoon rubs at his temples, trying to restart his brain in hopes of being able to see whatever it is he’s written. His eyesight seemed to be deteriorating these past few days, but Jihoon’s been too busy to go check it out. 

The star is about to try and read again when a pair of wire-framed glasses are dropped over his eyes. He turns around, meeting Chan’s gaze and melting ever so slightly at the younger’s smile. Chan’s own pair of glasses are identical to Jihoon’s, so one can only assume where they came from.

“It’s bad for your eyes to read only by candlelight hyung,” Chan chastised. A lantern is set on Jihoon’s desk, light much bigger and brighter than Jihoon’s dwindling candles. Chan taps at Jihoon’s quill, and Jihoon’s clearer vision finally notices how his quill had run out of ink a long time ago. The elder makes a strangled noise, ego and stubbornness bruised and wounded. Two simple words are choked at his throat, Jihoon unable to voice them aloud. Chan simply smiles, Jihoon’s internal debate being enough for him.

“You’re welcome, hyung. Just go out some time, yeah? We miss you,” Chan’s smiles sour ever so slightly, a pang of melancholy and longing in it. Jihoon wonders when was the last time he even left the Great Library. Scowling, the star pushes Chan off his back, dismissive hand shooing the younger out of the library. The look on Chan’s face is heartbreaking, and Jihoon can only feel guilt eating at him. He pushes it away, just like he always does, ignorant of whatever the universe wants from him. Those stupid selfish creatures down there has made the stars soft, and Jihoon was never going to become them.

Even if it means hurting those he loves now.

.🌟.

“Do you ever regret going with me?” Jihoon asks, head nestled in his arms. There’s an array of notebooks and star charts strewn across the desk, scribbled notes and diagrams all over them. Wonwoo looks up from the telescope in his hands, still halfway through adjusting the device. There’s a camera next to the telescope, the only thing Wonwoo decided to bring with him to the city. Wonwoo recalls the memories of back then, his new wire-framed glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose to match that of his boyfriend. It was Chan’s gift to him when they first arrived, boundless energy practically flooding Wonwoo as the younger star tackled him in a hug. Jieqiong had handed him a large stack of coffee coupons with a wink, to which Jihoon flushed red at. Nayoung had practically melted in relief that same day, gifting Wonwoo his new telescope as thanks for changing the unchangeable mind. It was as if Jihoon’s entire life had thanked him, for simply being unwilling to let Jihoon continue to think ill of the human race. Wonwoo hums at the memory of his apartment disappearing in a golden haze, ready to leave for an entirely different eternity than the one he was planning to have. But that was okay.

“I’ll never regret it, but I do miss my old friends,” Wonwoo admits. Jihoon smiles, probably at the memory of meeting Wonwoo’s overly puppy-like friends Mingyu, Vernon and Seokmin, although one can never truly be sure when it comes to Lee Jihoon. For all Wonwoo knows, he could have a smudge of telescope ink on his eye and the star would just let him suffer.

“You’ve made new ones too though. You and Soonie are practically attached at the hip,” Jihoon points out. Wonwoo simply shrugs, returning to his telescope.

“As I said, I don’t regret a single decision. Although I will definitely regret letting you pull me out of bed for a meteor shower you seem to be sleeping through,” Wonwoo teases. With a grumble, Jihoon rolls out of his perch and into Wonwoo’s waiting arms. An endeared laugh tumbles out from Wonwoo’s mouth, his body leaning down to press a kiss onto Jihoon’s forehead. Contentment blooms in his chest, and Wonwoo returns to his telescope. Jihoon pushes himself up first, claiming the eyehole for himself as the first of the meteors start streaking across the sky, lighting up the universe some million systems away.

“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” Jihoon breathes, finally letting Wonwoo use the telescope. He doesn’t though, only to lean over and capture Jihoon in a kiss.

“That happened ages ago. The one I find most beautiful is right here."

“You’re ridiculous."

“You love me."

A hum. Contemplation, although it’s more for show than anything.

“Yeah. That I do."

**Author's Note:**

> I debated posting this for a LONG time. I was worried over pacing issues and whether or not I made the climax referenced enough. Albeit untraditional, I really hate following the normal plot structure, so I moved away via talking about reactions, context clues and aftermaths more than the actual plot. It's mostly left up to the reader's imagination, although I can't really imagine this having a proper confession scene anyways. I kind of though of a soft falling in love more than any epiphanies or defining moments. Unconventional, I know.
> 
> All in all though, I'm grateful you've decided to read it anyways.
> 
> With love from your resident rarepair writer,  
Cat


End file.
